Police need better equipment; changed mindsets

by GLENN COSTA
Posted on 2009-01-07
PANAJI- Post 26/11, the state police as well as the state administration have woken up from their deep slumber to the gravity of a terrorist threat that Goa faces. The police force has been sandbagged by the fact that they may be facing well-trained and motivated terrorists equipped with the latest technology and AK-47s and AK-56s as compared to their ceremonial 303s of World War II or worse still just with lathis!
Suddenly the constabulary, who are usually on the frontline, have begun to ask how they will be able to face these people who are willing to kill or be killed and equipped with automatic weapons.
Probably even till today the rank and file policemen function totally in a civil mould, say ex-police officers with law and order situations like rioting being the worst case scenario they hope to face. They say that slapping illiterate ‘ghantis’ and ‘goondas’ in public would send an effective message and people would quake in their boots and effectively create fear in their minds. But today the threat is from AK-47s and other such automatic weapons that can fire upwards of 150 rounds per minute.
However, experts also feel that though the police are not well-equipped in any department most importantly the force has to evolve with whatever is on hand and get used to the new reality. For this, say experienced hands, mental toughness and preparedness is of utmost necessity – and this starts with the acceptance that they will have to fight and face automatic weapons.
It cannot be denied that Goa has evolved as a hot destination for tourists, many of them Europeans, for some time now and has thus drawn the attention of terrorists.
However, the policing infrastructure has not improved as care has not been taken to ensure this and experts and stakeholders complain that there has been nobody visionary enough to see the changed national and world scenario despite adequate warnings and so when the threat hit our doorstep, the administration was actually caught with their pants down.
Now the administration is scrambling to get weapons, say sources, and add that the police have to make do with vintage 303s while they have received training with SLRs. Here, the police have only around 100 SLRs and 30 AK-47s and around 30 bulletproof jackets and no night vision equipment. Orders have been given to enhance this with some 300 bulletproof jackets to come soon.
The police have their commandos and the IRB battalion too has its commandos. But experts point out that the norm for each battalion (6 companies) is that one company should be a commando company. In actual terms each battalion should have at least 80 commandos who should be extremely well-trained and equipped with automatic weapons, protection, night vision, small arms etc, and more importantly each battalion (1,000 men) should have at least 760 SLRs, with 700 for usage and 60 as reserve and argue that till date this is not being catered for.
Even though the information about the threat by the coast was given some time back, till very recently the coastal police had to patrol for our 105-km coastline with four canoes that cannot even cross Miramar. Now, after the Mumbai attacks the government has hired just four trawlers and one vessel from the Captain of Ports, which are not well equipped as they are obviously not meant for the purpose. It must be realised that the number of fishing trawlers plying the waters in the state is at least 900 with around 200 canoes. Also, the first dedicated boats for the coastal police will come only in April this year and the balance will come subsequently. The total number of boats to effectively patrol the coastline should be at least 25. This should be a mixture of large and small boats.
Analysts say the first two things that have to be strengthened are the intelligence infrastructure along with the subsequent gathering ability and the strike teams so that the ability to deal with any post-incident scenario is attained. This point has been underscored by the Union Home Minister, Mr P Chidambaram’s statement at the conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security at Delhi on Tuesday.
Undeniably, the state’s intelligence apparatus, if it is to give credible and timely inputs so as to deal effectively with the terrorist threat, needs a major overhaul for ultimately it is intelligence that will foil attacks. For any successful intelligence service, analysts say, the most important criteria are manpower, technical ability and mobility.
Experts stress that manpower for intelligence needs to have the right aptitude and that has to be taken care off at the time of selection itself. Also, technical ability of the state is laughable to non-existent and has to be literally built up from scratch. What is needed is surveillance technology, eavesdropping ability and the like, say insiders, as today the police mostly rely on human intelligence. But here too there is a major lacunae with the police having to make do with around 13 two-wheelers, half of them being in a rundown condition. For a population of at least 14 lakh as well as a floating population of almost the same amount, logic would dictate that you would need at least double the number as well as four wheelers most importantly unmarked.
Technical capability and manpower is most important factor and if the ATS is coming in, which is an extension of the intelligence, they would also need cyber intelligence and the like as well as separate combat teams. Next would be the reaction from the police in response to any incident. For this well-trained and mentally prepared commandos like the NSG are needed.
Another weak point is the first response vehicles or robots as the police call them. (These are the first to respond to any emergency when one dials 100.) At present the police have only around 28 for its population. If you take 15 per cent for maintenance, given that they work around the clock, the effective strength reduces by quite a bit. According to logic the number of vehicles should be at least 50 given that our coastline is quite lengthy and workload strenuous, especially during the peak tourist season. However, when the administration will gear up is to be seen as till now there is no movement made in this direction so as to enhance this capability.
The general manpower at the police stations too has to be increased drastically along with proper training and improvement in technical abilities. The police stations are undermanned, have no vehicles and no equipment. The rural stations are the worst affected. Also, sources blame ‘pressure’ for transfers and point out that at a sensitive police station like Pernem, that has the border check posts and a spate of alleged rapes and molestations being reported, is functioning under a probationary police officer with the police inspector ‘sent’ on paid leave right during the peak season.